Hunger Games clip hits the mark

Lionsgate Films has released a new clip from its upcoming young adult sci-fi thriller The Hunger Games. Warning - some spoilers follow.

The clip depicts a pivotal scene in the development of the protagonist. Here, she can be seen standing up to the ‘gamemakers’ for the first time during an official evaluation.

The gamemakers run the hunger games event each year, which brings in two teenagers, one of each gender, from each of the 12 districts of Panem, and forces them to fight to the death in an environment of their choosing.

Before the games, however, there is a training and evaluation period. This scene shows the latter. Each ‘tribute’ is evaluated by the gamemakers and assigned a score which marks their skill, and likelihood of success in the games. This then determines, in large part, how many sponsors the tribute may get, which can help their success in the games.

Katniss comes from the 12th district, and so she is one of the last two of the 24 teens to be evaluated. Also, not much is expected of district 12, as it’s a poor district, and rarely fields a winner. The gamemakers are hungry, and ignore Katniss as she shows off her great skill in archery. That’s where the clip picks up, and we get the end of the scene. It does a good job of showing us just how the Katniss character is going to be portrayed. The cinematographic style of the clip is also interesting. The shots are looser and more casual than I would have expected for this type of story.

The most recent synopsis released for the film is thus:

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Also, here’s the trailer for reference:

Due to early ticket sales, The Hunger Games is already a successful picture, and the author of the books has come out in direct support of the adaptation, now that she’s seen it in its entirety. It’s shaping up to be a pretty big win for Lionsgate, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they announce soon that the second book will be adapted right away.